Workers fight to stop privatisation

Wapda workers have held regular protests, long marches to express their disapproval of decision.

HYDERABAD: The All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union has warned of laying siege in Islamabad if the federal government goes ahead with its plan to privatise the electricity production and distribution companies.

"After Ramazan, the Water And Power Development Authority (Wapda) workers from all parts of the country will surround Islamabad to force the government to withdraw its decision," announced the union's central president Abdul Latif Nizamani while addressing a sit-in outside the Labour Hall near Hyder Chowk on Friday.

Hundreds of workers took part in the token sit-in. The provincial general secretary, Iqbal Qaimkhani, and other union leaders also spoke.

The workers have repeatedly expressed their disapproval of the privatisation over the last two decades. They have in the past held regular protests, long marches and a complete boycott of work to deliver their message. Three months earlier the union had staged a train march to Islamabad to protest against privatisation. "If the government is adamant to sell off the public companies then the workforce is also determined to foil their plans," said Nizamani.

Last week, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed the Privatisation Commission to prepare a road map to sell all the power production and distribution companies by June 2015. The Council of Common Interests had already approved denationalisation in its February 2014 meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2014.